Page 52 of The Risks of Reuniting

His teeth flash. "You know it."

"All right."

And, as though he simply can't help himself, he leans in and places a kiss on my forehead. When I expect him to pull away, he moves to my check, and then the side of my mouth, and my hands reach for him, planting against his chest as I lean in to the pressure. All I'd have to do is turn my head and we'd be kissing. My breath stutters at the thought, and his hand wraps around the back of my neck.

"Tell me if you don't want this," he whispers against my cheek.

My mouth is dry and my heart is racing. It's a risk and I don't like risks, but I'm paralyzed by his closeness, his scent, his warm mouth moving to the side of my neck. I tilt my head to give him better access and my breath rushes out.

"I want this," I whisper.

It takes less than a heartbeat for him to move his mouth to mine. He's soft and warm, and it's like coming back to myself. I know this mouth, and the way it moves, and the way it makes me feel. I slide my hands up his chest and take hold of his shoulders, and his hands move to my back to pull me flush against him. My towel slides off my shoulders into the dirt, but I don't feel the cold air against my skin. He tilts his head to settle his mouth more firmly on mine, his kisses becoming more intense as the breath is stolen from my lungs.

A zillion feelings zap between us. It's been too long. How did I go without this? Was I actually living after he left? Because it feels like life slipping back into me the longer we kiss, and the tighter he holds me. Like rather than stealing my breath, he's returning it at long last.

Eventually we need actual air, and we pull apart, our foreheads leaning against each other as his familiar scent fills my senses. Senses that remember exactly why it was so hard to lose this. Holt and I were amazing together, and that same spark hasn't dimmed at all.

I take a few more breaths and step back, letting go of his shoulders and he drops his arms from around me. I don't want words to ruin this moment. I want to go inside and glow for a bit and then overanalyze it, and then glow some more. So when he opens his mouth to say something, I don't care what it is, I hop forward and stop him with another soft press of my lips against his.

Before he can wrap his arms around me for round two, I'm out of his hold.

"Goodnight," I say with a soft smile, to take any sting out of it.

He answers with one of his own. "Night."

I pick up my towel and go inside the bunk room without a backward glance.

HOLT

I'm not sleeping one single wink tonight, I realize as I leave Chloe's door and make my way back to the laundry area to gather up our dinner trays and return them to the canteen. I note that the tubs have been emptied and wonder if Cesar saw us together. I honestly don't care if he did.

I kissed her. Correction, she wanted me to kiss her, which is even better. My heart soars, and all my previous exhaustion flies out the window. That moment was everything. Every. Thing. I can't believe it happened.

The canteen is dark when I return the trays, and I hurry to wash them, not wanting the employees to find work waiting for them in the morning. I hum while I wash, and think about my beautiful girl and her soft eyes, and her hard work today. It was fun working with her. She was terrible at it, but she kept up a good attitude and her sincere desire to help makes her even more attractive.

This could be something we do together in the future. More humanitarian work. I have three years of PharmD school left, but after that we could do a few things. I start imagining the possibilities and then work to tamp down on it.

"Don't get ahead of yourself, man," I say out loud as I dry the last tray and stack it. "You haven't had any real conversations, and planning out a future without talking to her didn't go so well in the past. Slow your roll."

But it's so hard to slow when my girl feels like she's within reach.

I make my way back to my bunk room to find Cesar awake, reading something by the light of our single lamp. He greets me when I enter the room and make my way to the dresser to get clean and dry clothes.

"How did it go?" he asks, sitting up with a knowing grin.

I can't help the huge smile that I send over my shoulder. "Good," I say.

He sets down his magazine. "Very good?"

"Very good," I agree. "You want to go to Inka Market tomorrow? Shopping day?"

"Does Chloe want to shop?" he asks astutely.

"She does."

"Then yes, amigo, I will shop too."

I slap him on the shoulder as I pass his bed, and head out to the communal shower. Best night ever. Even better than the first time I kissed her two years ago. This time I know better than to waste the gift.

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